1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an imaging apparatus for capturing dynamic and/or static images in wide areas, suitably adapted to a monitoring camera, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a monitoring camera, and the like, a technology of scanning a camera with a telescopic lens attached is employed for capturing high-resolution dynamic and/or static images in wide areas.
When scanning a camera for capturing dynamic and/or static images in wide areas, the camera is rotated around a point or line in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction to change the direction of the camera, and thereby capturing the dynamic and/or static images in wide areas in the horizontal direction (panning) and in the vertical direction (tilting). Such a camera capable of panning and tilting is called a pan and tilt camera.
Also, when capturing dynamic or static images in wide areas, it is conceivable to join dynamic and/or static images captured in respective directions.
However, when rotating a camera, unless the center point or line for rotation is appropriately selected, it occurs that joining is difficult or a non-captured dead angle exists.
As the monitoring camera, if a dead angle exists, the camera may not have a sufficient monitoring function.
To eliminate dead angles in captured dynamic and/or static images, it may be necessary to rotate a camera around an NP point (non-parallax point) of an optical system of the camera.
The NP point is defined as a point where an extended linear component in an object space of a principal ray located in a Gauss region, selected from among a large number of principal rays passing through the center of an aperture diaphragm of an optical system of a camera, crosses an optical axis of the optical system.
It is possible to join dynamic and/or static images respectively taken with a plurality of cameras, without causing parallax, by making NP points of optical systems of the cameras (actual dynamic and/or static images or virtual dynamic and/or static images reflected by mirrors, etc.) agree with each other (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 2003-162018 and No. 2006-30664).
When rotating a camera as described above, by rotating the camera around an NP point serving as a rotation center, it is possible to join dynamic and/or static images captured in respective directions, without causing parallax. Further, it is possible not to cause dead angles by not causing parallax.